It’s Cold & Flu Season – Wash Your Hands!

There is always something “going around” as soon as people get back to school. Hilbert campus is no exception. To avoid becoming sick, please review the following procedure for washing your hands.

Did you know washing your hands is the best proven way to reduce the spread of illness? Wash your hands before and after touching food, after using the bathroom, after contact with another person (such as shaking hands), and after they are soiled. You can also wash your hands as soon as you walk in the door of your residence, to keep your roommate or family from catching anything you drag in with you. Hands can become “soiled” even if they do not appear that way. Some ways this can happen are by touching your face, touching common surfaces that may contain microorganisms, or from poor hygiene.

Not everyone knows the proper technique for washing hands. Here it is:

Ready a paper towel before you turn on the water.

Using tepid or warm (not hot) water, wet your hands and then lather up with soap, while the water runs. (Antimicrobial soap is not necessary; any hand soap will do.)

Lather and rub your hands together for at least 20 seconds (long enough to sing the Happy Birthday song twice).

Make certain to wash under your nails, between your fingers, the backs of your hands, and even your wrists. Rinse these areas well.

Dry your hands on the paper towel.
(If you must use a cloth towel, have a separate cloth towel for each roommate or family member, and replace often.)

Finally, turn the water faucet off with a dry paper towel or clean cloth towel. Exit the bathroom by turning the doorknob with a paper towel, also.

Dispose of the paper towel in a proper receptacle.

If you are not able to wash your hands, using a gel hand sanitizer is an acceptable alternative. Use enough to wet the entire area, and rub it in until the gel is dry. (Two exceptions are when hands are visibly soiled, and when you have already used hand sanitizer several times.)